Oska Bright Film Festival 2026 (21st Edition)

Oska Bright Film Festival returns for its 21st edition as the world's leading festival for films made by or featuring people with learning disabilities or autism. Founded in 2004 by a group of learning-disabled filmmakers frustrated at having nowhere to show their work, the festival has grown from a one-day celebration to a six-day international showcase of groundbreaking creative work. The festival will screen approximately 100 films chosen from over 450 submissions, representing work from multiple countries and diverse genres including animation, documentary, drama, experimental, music, and artist film. The festival serves as a BAFTA-qualifying event and is driven by a mission to increase representation in the film industry, where currently less than 5% of disabled people work.

The festival programming includes comprehensive screenings of short films (up to 25 minutes) and feature films, with dedicated Q&A sessions, presentations, keynotes from industry leaders like director Ben Wheatley, and panel discussions exploring disability representation in media. The festival particularly seeks to include and celebrate films from the LGBTQ+, Black, Brown and ethnically diverse, women, and young people communities. Live captions and transcripts are provided for all screenings to ensure accessibility for all audiences and artists. In its 2022 edition, the festival welcomed 3,500 people through its doors and reached audiences across 19 countries.

The festival culminates in an awards ceremony with honours presented by leading figures from the film industry, celebrating exceptional work across multiple categories. Oska Bright Film Festival is managed and delivered by a team of ten learning-disabled artists all passionate about film and exhibition, presented by Carousel, an award-winning learning disability arts organization dedicated to bringing learning disability arts to the forefront of cultural conversation. The festival is a celebration of inclusive storytelling, diverse voices, and the power of film to challenge perceptions and shift mindsets within the creative industrie